Colitis refers to any condition which results in an inflamed colon.

There is Ischemic colitis, Crohn's, even chemically induced colitis (often as a result of medications), and many more. Still, the word is frequently used as a shorthand phrase for ulcerative colitis, one of the more common types of inflammatory bowel disease, as the category is known.

There are both similarities and differences with Crohn's disease, which it resembles. Crohn's often exists in isolated spots within the intestine.

 Ulcerative colitis tends to occur in continuous sections. UC also affects the innermost lining of the large intestine. Crohn's begins at another layer.

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis include rectal inflammation and sometimes bleeding (when it occurs in the last six inches of the large intestine). Pancolitis, by contrast, affects the entire length of the colon and produces bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps. It may also include excessive and unusual weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats.

Colitis, particularly the ulcerative variety, can be a serious condition leading to even more serious complications.

 Toxic megacolon, for example, produces a paralyzed colon that prevents eliminating gas or having bowel movements. Waste material that isn't removed can cause the colon to rupture, introducing toxins into the bloodstream and causing peritonitis, just to name two possibilities.

Such an event requires emergency surgery, but even less severe though still serious secondary effects are not uncommon. A perforated colon, severe dehydration, liver disease, or inflammation of the skin or joints are only a few of the possibilities. While it doesn't cause colon cancer directly, IBD increases the odds somewhat, with the risk rising the longer the condition persists. Even so, only about 10 percent of IBD sufferers go on to contract colon cancer.

Like its 'cousin', Crohn's, the disease produces ulcers in the colon, which account for many of the symptoms listed. Also like that other condition, the cause(s) of the disease are not well understood. Some studies suggest that a bacterium or virus is the culprit and that the disease occurs when the immune system overreacts to fighting it.

Like Crohn's, heredity plays a large role in who is likely to acquire the disease. The risk is much higher for those with a close relative affected by the condition. Also like Crohn's, in contrast to many diseases, it tends more often to occur among younger individuals, generally in their 30s.

There are several diagnostic procedures for determining whether any IBD is present. Blood tests check for anemia or signs of infection. A colonoscopy - a procedure that uses a lighted tube inserted into the colon through the rectum - allows a direct inspection of the surface. It also may be used to capture tissue samples that can be analyzed later. Those samples can, for example, be checked for granulomas, which occur in Crohn's but not ulcerative colitis. X-ray diagnosis is also used, with the patient typically consuming or being flushed with a barium compound to make diseased areas visible.

Treatments range from drug therapy to surgery to removing ulcerated tissue - sometimes in spots, other times in entire sections. Anti-inflammatory drugs like Sulfasalazine or Mesalamine are effective for treatment of symptoms, though they often have undesirable side effects. Corticosteroids may be prescribed for short periods.